Center for Archival Collections

November 22, 1888

War Department
Washington, DC

November 22, 1888

Dear Sir:

Please accept my thanks for your letter of the 7th inst. and accompanying papers relating to the part taken by the 21st Ohio at the Battle of Chickamauga. My recent visit there confirms all that you say concerning the detached regiments on Snodgrass Hill. In the maps I am now preparing the 21st will be correctly placed.

Yours truly.
S. C. Kellogg
Brevet Lieut. Col. U.S.A.

[in lower margin]Colonel Arnold McMahan
Toledo
Ohio

May 8, 1889

[Letterhead]
5371.D. A. G. O. (E. B.), 88.
1 Enclo.

War Department
Adjutant General's Office
Washington, May 8, 1889

Col. Arnold McMahon,
526 Front Str., Toledo, Ohio.

Sir:--

In adknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 26. Ulto., relative to the case of Horace Jones, of Sheridan, Montcalm Co., Mich., as vet. Co. C., 21. Ohio Vols., the Department begs to express its thanks for, and its approval of, the very proper course adopted by you in this matter.

The Department is quite convinced of the integrity of the official record, and it has heretofore denied Jones' application for removal of the charge of desertion standing against him, on the ground that his absence between desertion and his re-enlistment in the 2. Illinois Cav'y., exceeded three months--having re-enlisted in the latter organization on June 1, 1863.

The new law--a copy of which is enclosed for your information--has however extended the limit of absence from the service to four months, hence if Jones complies with the other requirements of the law, he will be entitled to the relief asked for.

Very respf'y
your obt. Servt.
C. M. Keever
Asst. Adjt. Genl.

[Enclosure: printed copy of "An act for the relief of certain volunteer and regular soldiers of the late war and the war with Mexico"]

June 21, 1889

[Letterhead: War Department, Washington]

June 21, 1889

Dear Sir:

Until Autumn there will be no way of your seeing a map of Chickamauga unless you come here and look at my proof copies.--I hope to have some printed proofs ready for the Chattanooga meeting of the Army of the Cumberland.--

What now appears obscure to you about the circumstances of the capture of these[?] regimetns has all been satisfactorily worked out from the official reports, recollections of survivors and visits to the ground.--If you will go to the battlefield with me in Sept. and will induce J. Y. Mitchell of Columbus O. to accompany you, I can point out to you just how the capture was made.--Boynton and VanDerveer will both be there.--You will find the ground very little changed where you fought.--I am delayed in getting my printing done; otherwise my maps are completed so far as compilation goes--I have made them so far without assistance of either clerk or draughtsman.--It is work that should have been done twenty years ago,--but is doubly difficult to do now.--Had I not seen most every part of the field, while the battle was in progress, I never could have worked it out, for there was not a single Division of the eleven engaged that at some period of the battle did not become disintegrated by detaching a brigade, scarcely a brigade that did not have detached regiments and the Corps organizations were all obliterated.--

Yours truly
Sanford C. Kellogg

Colonel Arnold McMahan
Toledo Ohio

June 24, 1889

[Letterhead: Adjutant General's Office, Washington]

3438 A. G. O. 1889

June 24, 1889.

Arnold McMahan Esq., No. 526 Front Street, Toledo, Ohio.

Sir:

Referring to your leter of the 19th instant enclosing a slip from the Press News in relation to missing war records, and stating that, if desired by the Department, you can furnish a copy of a report prepared by you in 1864, covering the movements of the 21st Ohio Infantry Sept. 19 and 20. 1863; I have the honor to inform you that a report of the part borne by the 21st Ohio Infantry, at the battle of Chickamauga was made by Captain Chas. H. Vantine, and is on file in this office.

The report mentioned by you is not on file, but if a properly authenticated copy can be furnished by you, without alteration or amendment, it will be received and published.

Under a rule of the Department no "additional and explanatory information" can be accepted.

Very respectfully,
M V Sheridan
Assistant Adjutant General

June 29, 1889

[Copy]

Toledo Ohio
June 29, 1889

Adjutant General U.S.A.
Washington D.C.

Sir:

The subject of missing war records (See my letter of June 19th 1889 and your answer thereto of June 24th) as in the case of my report of the 21st Reg't. Ohio Vol. Inft'y in the battle of Chickamauga which I have supplied, suggests that there may be other records of my regiment missing. I furnished the following reports and if they are not on file, I can supply authentic copies if the Department desires me to do so, to wit:--

Battle at Vinings Station or Chattahooche Bridge, Ga. July 9th 1864. Forwarded July 10th 1864[,] The Georgia Campaign from May 7th to Sept 2d 1864 including the fighting before Atlanta and the siege of the City, and the battle of Jonesboro, Sept. 1st with a list of casualties in detail[.] Forwarded Sept. 9th 1864.
Report of tropheys captured and circumstances.
Forwarded Sept. 16th 1864.
The Savannah Campaign from Sept. 3rd 1864 to December 21st 1864. Forwarded Dec. 30th 1864.
Report of 3rd Brig. 1st Div. 14th A. C. in the Carolina Campaign from January 20th, 1865 to March 22d 1865.

The report of the 21st Reg't. Ohio Vols. In the Carolina Campaign was furnished by Samuel F. Cheney, while I commanded the above Brigade.

Respectfully Yours
Arnold McMahan
Late Lieut. Col. 21st Reg't
Ohio Vet. Vol. Inf'ty
Brevet Col. U.S. Vols.

July 2, 1889

[Letterhead: War Department, Adjutant General's Office, Washington]

July 2, 1889

Colonel Arnold McMahan
Toledo, Ohio.

Sir:

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th ultimo, inclosing copy of your official report of the battle of Chickamauga, with accompanying documents. All the other reports mentioned by you are on file in this office, except that of Vinings Station July 9, 1864. A copy of it will be thankfully received.

Respectfully
J. C. Kelton
Adjutant General.

July 11, 1889

[Letterhead: War Department, Adjutant General's Office, Washington]

July 11, 1889

Colonel Arnold McMahan,
Toledo, Ohio

Sir:

I have the honor to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of an authenticated copy of your report of the engagement at Vining's Station, Ga. July 9 and 10, 1864.

Respectfully
J. C. Kelton
Adjutant General.

December 21, 1889

[Letterhead: War Records Office. Washington, D.C.]

December 21, 1889

My Dear Colonel;

At the request of Colonel Haynes I take pleasure in sending you, by this mail, a copy of Parts I and II of the Chickamauga Volumes. They are advance copies and are subject to revision before final publication, but I feel sure you will find them interesting. The final volumes will be printed between this and June 30, 1890.
With every good wish believe me,

Faithfully yours,
Geo. B. Davis
Major, U.S.A.

To
Col. Arnold McMahon,
Toledo,
Ohio.

December 28, 1889

[Letterhead: House of Representatives U.S., Washington, D.C.]

Fremont, O, Dec. 28, 1889.

My dear Col.

Your letter of the 18 inst. Was received on the eve of my leaving W--[Washington] for home.

By the courtesy of Maj. Geo. Davis U.S.A. in charge of the compilation of the work, I was enabled to furnish you an advance copy--used for indexing purposes--After it has come out in proper form, can send you copy for your Library--

On examination, should you find statements in reports & c that you consider erroneous, write to me and I will bring it to the attention of Maj. Davis--

With kind regards I am
Sincerely yours
Wm. E. Haynes

Col. Arnold McMahan
Toledo, O

MS 562: Introduction | Transcript List
MS 562 Series Description: MS 562: Introduction | 86th O.V.I. Records | Arnold McMahan Papers
MS 562 Abstracts: Part 1 (McMahan Correspondence) | Part 2 (Box 12) | Part 3 (Box 13) | Inventory
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